What’s New in Stepping Stones: A Sneak Peek at the 2025–2026 Enhancements

As we gear up for the 2025–2026 school year, we’re excited to share some powerful new features coming to the Stepping Stones curriculum. These updates are designed to deepen student engagement, support instructional alignment, and bring mathematical thinking to life in meaningful ways. 

Here’s a quick look at what’s ahead.

Start Strong with Dispositions Week

Launching this July, Dispositions Week is a new five-day module for all K–6 grade levels. Designed for the first week of school, this module lays the foundation for a year of positive and productive math learning. Students are introduced to instructional routines like: 

• Math Talk
• Select and Sequence
• Compare and Connect
• 3 Reads
• Think–Pair–Share

Each lesson supports the development of growth mindset, resilience, and curiosity—helping students approach math with confidence from day one. Plus, every activity connects directly to the 8 Mathematical Practices, giving students a clear, hands-on understanding of what math learning looks like in action. 

Every day has a specific learning target that is meant to be shared with students such as:

• I can work with others to solve a math challenge. 
• I can use math in my everyday life. 
• I can look for patterns and make connections to make sense of math problems. 
• I can share my thinking with words and representations using the language of math. 
• I can persevere to solve a challenging math problem. 

In grades K-2, while the intent of the lessons is similar, the learning target phrasing is more age-appropriate:

• I can work with others in math.
  
• I can use math every day.
• I can look for patterns in math.
• I can share my thinking about math.
• I can work hard to solve math problems.

Real-World Application with Extended Tasks

Starting in October, Mid-Year and End of Year Extended Tasks will be rolled out, offering students a new way to engage with math through real-world, open-ended challenges. 

These multi-day lessons require students to apply what they’ve learned in meaningful contexts that call for collaboration and creative problem solving.

Each task includes clear teacher guidance to support facilitation and differentiation. The tasks emphasize multiple solution paths and student-led presentations—highlighting the depth of understanding and communication that strong math instruction encourages. 

Diagnose and Support with Basic Facts Assessments

The new Basic Facts Assessments are built to pinpoint where students are thriving—and where they may need a bit more support. 

Designed for Grades 1–6, these assessments identify student understanding by strategy, helping teachers make informed decisions about instruction and intervention. You can use them as benchmark assessments, diagnostics, or pre-post checks to support fluency goals. 

Bonus – for schools using the Book and Box of Fact Strategies, the assessments integrate seamlessly, making it even easier to tailor support to student needs.

Instructional Alignment Made Easy

We’ve also made it simpler to see exactly how each lesson aligns to your state standards. Now, every lesson overview includes clearly labeled learning targets, mathematical clusters, and state standard correlations—so you can teach with confidence and clarity.

Ready for What’s Next?

We’re thrilled about these upcoming additions and can’t wait for you to explore them in action. 

Whether you’re setting the tone for the year with Dispositions Week, diving into collaborative Extended Tasks, or using new assessment tools to guide instruction—2025–2026 is shaping up to be a powerful year for math learning. 

Want to see the updates in action? Register below to join our webinars in May and check them out!

Date: May 7th
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Date: May 14th
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Date: May 21st
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